I REMEMBER the late Tip O’Neill, when speaker of the US Congress, once saying that “all politics is local”.

By that he meant that people take their politics from the community where they live, even when voting in national elections.

In this country we call it “pavement politics”.

Even in today’s world of 24-hour media and fast moving communications, people’s voting intentions are still heavily influenced by local circumstances. We’ve seen that recently in Egypt, Tunisia and Burma.

We also saw it in George Galloway’s by-election victory in Bradford, where a long-held Labour seat toppled overnight because Labour had abandoned the very people it was supposed to stand up for.

represent

The same thing is happening in Scotland, especially at local level.

Here in North Lanarkshire, which Labour has ruled as a mini one party state for over 60 years, they have badly let down the working people they are supposed to represent.

Just look at what has been happening.

The council’s Labour “leaders” approve nearly £200,000 in performance related pay for their already highly-paid top officials while old folk can’t get much-needed wet shower rooms and stair lifts or disabled children and their families can’t get respite “because the council can’t afford it”.

priorities

If they can’t afford these essentials, why are they doling out £200,000 in performance related pay to the highest paid people in the council?

Nye Bevan once said that socialism was the language of priorities.

Surely a Labour-led council should be giving priority to our senior citizens and disabled children?

That £200,000 in bonuses would have paid for 40 wet shower rooms or 100 respite breaks for disabled children and their carers.

As you know, I get dog’s abuse from the Labour councillors every time I point out their failings in North Lanarkshire Council.

However, I think most people agree with me.

Labour has lost its way and it’s time for a change for the better in North Lanarkshire.

Take the example of elderly people living in sheltered housing.

On top of paying their council tax and extra money for their care, they also have to pay a home support charge to the council.

robbing

In some cases this is over £100 a month and is robbing many of these elderly people of their works pension.

Yet, the council refuses to say what additional services each person is getting for this stealth tax which they have imposed on the elderly.

Indeed, when you look at the list of services it is supposed to cover, nearly all of them are already available free of charge to people who don’t live in sheltered housing. Surely that isn’t fair?

Similarly, why haven’t the hundreds of thousands of pounds the council gets every year from local wind farms not been re-invested in Shotts?

Why has that money been spent elsewhere and not in the communities who live with the wind farms on their doorstep?

When you go to vote in the local elections in North Lanarkshire on Thursday, May 3, remember these things and vote accordingly.